1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a scanning apparatus reading images from a document and an image forming apparatus employing the scanning apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A scanning apparatus is an apparatus to irradiate light onto a document and receiving light reflected from the document to read images recorded on the document. The scanning apparatus may be classified as a flatbed type, in which a document is located at a fixed position and a scanning member such as a contact type image sensor (CIS) or a charge coupled device (CCD) reads images while moving, a document feed type, in which a scanning member is fixed at a location and a document is moved to be read, and a combined type thereof. A scanning apparatus may be used alone or as a multifunction printer in which a scanning apparatus and a printer or a copier that includes a printing unit printing images on a paper are combined.
The scanning apparatus includes a main body including a platen on which a document is placed and a platen cover that covers the platen. The platen cover may be pivoted between an open position and a closed position. The platen cover may be pivoted to the open position and a document placed on the platen, and the platen cover may be pivoted again to the closed position.
To prevent the platen cover from falling from the open position to the closed position due to its self-weight, a damper structure may be provided in the scanning apparatus. The damper structure gives pivot resistance to the platen cover such that the platen cover does not fall to the closed position in a section at a predetermined opening angle or greater (free stop section). Thus, in a section at an angle less than the predetermined opening angle, the platen cover falls due to its self-weight to thereby be pivoted to the closed position.